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H. BRETSCHER.

TROUSERS STHETCHER.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I6. I9Is.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

f7. ,Bre f5 65er' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HANS BRETSCHER, OF NEW YRK, N. Y., ASSGNOR OF @NE-HALF TO ALEXANDERPECORETTI AND ONE-HALF TO FRANZ MATZ, BOTH OF ELIZABETH, NEW

JERSEY.

TRGUSERS-STRETCHER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 21, 1920.

Application filed September 16, 1919. Serial No. 324,096.

T 0 all whom may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, HANS Bnn'rscnnn, a citizen of Switzerland, residingat New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful `improvements in Trousers-Stretchers, ofwhich the following is a specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings.

This invention relates to trousers stretchers, and has for its object toprovide a device of this character which efficiently stretches thetrousers through the medium of stretching elements having outwardlybowed sides and ends.

Another object is to provide a device of this character including twostretching elements formed from two lengths of wire and connected toeach other, the connecting sides of each element including outwardlybowed portions which serve to increase the stretching power of theelements and tend to resist contraction when the stretching elements aremoved toward each other for application to the trousers legs.

These objects are attained by the mechanism illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which z- Figure 1 is a vertical elevation ofthe stretcher applied to a pair of trousers;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the stretcher in its expanded position;

Fig. 9 is a detail view of the connected ends of the stretching elementsof the stretcher;

Fig. d is a side elevation of the clamp applied to the ends of thestretching elements, the ends being shown in section.

Referring to the drawings, 5 indicates one stretching element and 6 theother stretching element. Each stretching element is formed from asingle length of wire which is bowed at its intermediate portion 7 andbent, as at 8, in angular relation to the intermediate portion 7, toprovide bowed ends 9.

The ends are bent, as at 10, in angular relation to the end portions 9to provide bowed sides 11, the free ends 12 of the wire being bent inangular relation to the sides 11. By the novel bowed arrangement of thesides 7 and 11 and ends 9, an expanding power is created which serves toincrease the stretching power of the stretcher.

In assembling the stretcher, the ends 12 of the element 5 are disposedbetween the 55 ends 12 of the element 6 and are secured to each other bymeans of a clamp 13. The clamp 13 comprises a casing 14 bent to providesides 15,'the free ends 16 of the casing being bent upon themselves toprovide iianges 17. A connecting plate 18 is intended to connect theflanges 17 of the ciamp and comprises an inwardly bowed base portion 19and upwardly and inwardly extending ends 20, the inwardly extending 65ends serving to provide flanges 21 adapted to engage the flanges 17 ofthe clamp.

As shown in Fig. 4, the base portion 19 of the connecting plates servesto force the ends 12 of the stretching element 5 into en- 70 gagementwith the wall of the clamp and at the same time to cause the sides 15 ofthe clamp to engage the ends 12 of the stretching element 5 and alsoforce the latter into engagement with the ends 12 of the stretch- 75 ingelement 5 so that it is impossible for the ends, in view of this novelclamping arrangement, to become accidentally disengaged from each other.In order to properly support Athe trousers stretcher, a chain 22 is 80connected at one end to the stretching element 6 and at its other end tothe stretching element 5 and includes a ring 23 at its intermediateportion to be engaged with any suitable supporting means. This chain,while it efciently supports the stretcher, does not interfere in anymanner with the expanding power of the stretching elements.

1n use, one of the stretchers comprising the stretching elements 5 and 6is intended 90 to be disposed in each leg of the trousers and is appliedby contracting the elements 5 and 6 so that the sides 11 of each elementcross each other, and in view of their bowed arrangement, the crossingtends to distort the bowed portion and thereby increases the stretchingpower of each stretching element. it the same time, the sides 7, in viewof their bowed arrangement, readily conform to the shape of the trousersand engage the ment does not decrease the stretching power of theadjacent stretching element. ln addition to this, the ends of eachelement, being clamped to each other, form a substantial connection.

I claim l. A trousers stretcher Comprising two lengths of wire, eachbent to provide outwardly bowed side and end portions, the free ends ofsaid wire extending in right angular relation to the side portions ofsaid wire, the ends of one wire being disposed between the ends of theadjacent wire, and a clamp for binding said ends to each other, saidclamp preventing oscillating movement of said ends within the clamp.

2. A trousers stretcher comprising two lengths of wire, each lengthbeing bent at its intermediate portion to provide a stretching element,the ends and intermediate portion being outwardly bowed, the ends of onewire engaging each other and interposed between the ends of the adjacentwire, a clamp 'comprising a casing partially surrounding the ends otboth wires, the ends of the clamp being bent to provide flanges, aconnecting plate having upwardly and inwardly eX- tending ends engagedwith the ilanges of the clamp, the body portion of the connecting plateengaging the first mentioned engaged ends of one of the wires to forcethe same into engagement with the wall of' the clamp, the connection ofthe plate to the clamp serving to force the, second named wire intoengagement with the sides of the clamp and the first mentioned wireends.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

HANS BRETSCHER.

